by Catalina Camia , USA TODAY

by Catalina Camia , USA TODAY

Texas Gov. Rick Perry took a jab Thursday at state Sen. Wendy Davis, who became a heroine to abortion-rights supporters and a Democratic star after her marathon filibuster.

Perry, a Republican, had this to say about Davis, who became a mother at 19, at the National Right to Life Conference in Dallas:

"It's just unfortunate that she hasn't learned from her own example that every life must be given a chance to realize its full potential and that every life matters," he said.

Perry didn't mention Davis by name, but there was no mistaking his subject. He referred to her as "the woman who filibustered the Senate the other day" and went on to explain how Davis was the daughter of a single mother and became a teenage mother herself.

Davis went on to graduate from Harvard Law School and was elected to the Texas Senate in 2008. She said Perry's statement "is without dignity and tarnishes the high office he holds."

Davis held the Texas Senate floor and talked for 11 hours, bringing attention to a bill that would ban abortions after 20 weeks and effectively close most abortion clinics in Texas. The measure died so Perry has called for another special legislative session to begin July 1.